IMAGERY - the new educational discipline

By O. Tokarchuk

Introduction

I, Oleksandr Tokarchuk, am an acoustic physicist by education and an actor by vocation at the theatre, plasticity drama and other forms of acting art. I have dedicated the last 40 years to researching the nature of the art of acting. I have taught body’s plasticity and acting skills in many Kyiv theater-studios; developed a basic program and methodology for training a professional actor; I expanded the usage of my developments beyond the limits of acting art, in particular - to the needs of business and society - to improve the communicational and oratorical abilities of employees, and to improve the quality of the humans’ social behavior in general. In 2007, I founded my brand, "School of Imagery". I work closely with the National Centre for Theatre Arts, named after Les’ Kurbas, in various organisational forms.

The phenomenon of Imagery

Imagery is such a combination of external form with its inherent content, which in its integrity is capable of making an Impression.

Studying the phenomenon of Imagery in art and life, I became convinced that Imagery is an integral part of our existence. It is present in the forms and phenomena of nature, individual manifestations of representatives of the animal and plant world; in the realm of humans, these are the most amazing works of art in any sphere of human activity.

We are impressed by Images of nature, Imagery art, Imagery people, Imagery behaviour. Concepts such as Imagery perception, Imagery thinking, Imagination, and Imagery transformation share a common root - Image. Through research and study of the phenomenon of Imagery, I established it as a separate special subject.

Classes with groups of students from various theatre studios opened up the possibility of practical studies of Imagery, both in acting and in the social behaviour of people.

Imagery behaviour is the main subject at the Acting School of Imagery, which I founded.

Imagery is a primary subject in the training of professional actors in our school, as well as the subject of study for non-theatrical, non-professional-art-oriented students. Imagery for life is another language for a person's communication with himself, the world around him, and other people. When a person achieves Imagery, his/her social behaviour reaches an exceptional quality. Mastery of Imagery plays the most crucial role for one to raise his/her behaviour to the level of art. Educational programs of the School of Imagery give a person this unique opportunity.

Speaking about the art of acting, the primary professional identification of a professional actor, like any other real artist, in my opinion, is competence in feeling and understanding of Imagery. In the art of acting, where the actor himself is the instrument of his creativity, and the player on this instrument, the behaviour of the actor is the work/product of his/her art. Imagery reveals itself as an exceptional, impressive quality of acting, acting of the highest, perfect variety.

Practical studies. Heuristics.

To date, there is no fundamental study of the subject of "Imagery", neither art nor life related, nor has there been a systematic study of Imagery in the art of acting. Sporadic, unsystematic experimental achievements and theoretical studies of Imagery may add breadth to the view of the expressiveness of acting, or Imagery in art in general. Still, apart from general declarations and appeals, they do not provide practical means of action and permanent achievements of a new, higher quality, Imagery of both acting and behaviour, nor to Imagery format of creativity in general.

Theoretical studies typically involve material that has been obtained practically and is already worked out. Theoretical studies operate with already known facts. The other side of theoretical studies of acting art is focused on the spaces of the possible, abstract, and is constructed based on the virtualisation of reality. We ascertained that the only acceptable way to study and develop the subject of Imagery, as a new one and not yet been fully worked out by other researchers, is the practical research. This research was conducted in the field of theatrical and acting art, so the first achievements and possessions were related to the art of acting, its perfection, the actor's ability to behave on stage, in given circumstances, etc.

Actors of theatre studios and students of the School of Imagery, in addition to mastering specific acting skills, added real results to the research and development of Imagery as a subject. The method of teaching the subject "Imagery" was crystallised in educational and research conditions, and could not be other than heuristic in its essence. Moreover, experience shows that Imagery itself can be taught only heuristically, using specific research methods to identify and improve certain skills.

The heuristic method of teaching Imagery in acting

The true art of acting, without understanding the phenomenon of Imagery, can be reached only intuitively, relying on the talent and diligence of the actor. But then, Imagery is presented in the acting, like a miracle, in a state which is not realised by the actor himself. Obviously, for this reason, the true art of acting is considered a "gift of God", which is seemingly impossible to teach.

I believe that Imagery, as the main quality of expressive human behaviour in general, and as a defining quality of acting art in particular, should be the main subject taught in acting schools and relevant higher educational institutions. Not only do theatre or film actors need to study the subject of Imagery. Performers, dancers, singers, musicians, in general, representatives of any stage art, as well as public figures, are in dire need of improving their acting skills, or, in other words, their behavioural skills - skills in handling themselves. As experience shows, there is no more effective way for this than studying the subject of "Imagery" according to our carefully developed program and heuristic-research methodology.

The advantages of heuristic-research methods in teaching the subject "Imagery: the acting art" as opposed to algorithmic ones are obvious.

Creative activity differs from production, as the process and the result of creativity are unpredictable. It is the new, fresh, heuristic process that gives a chance to get the original, unrepeatable, unique quality of the product of creativity. Any algorithmization of the creative process irreversibly leads to a dead model, scheme or another typical product, among many others, similar, which are difficult to distinguish from each other. According to our experience, Imagery can be achieved only through self-research, following the unique educational programs, with the use of authorial heuristic methods of the School of Imagery.

Our basic training programs depend on the professional characteristics of the group of students.

Theatre. Performance. Life.

"Versions Theatre". Imagery in stage action. A course for education and skills development of professional actors. The special method of creating mini-shows or extended theatrical sketches. Version’s development and Imagery processing of specific dramaturgical material by a working group of actors. Creation of a «factory» of theatre startups.

"Imagery for performers". Training course for specific solidarity groups of performers who have developed professional qualification levels in plastic, choreographic, singing and other types of performative art.

"Imagery behaviour". A course for a wide range of people who do not consider acting or performing arts in general as their profession. This course considers human behaviour as a subject for research and study, and at the same time as an academic discipline. Expressive public behaviour, the ability to control oneself both in acute critical situations and peace. Study of «Imagery processing» — as an alternative to psychological methods of awareness, emotional living and regaining control over life situations, asserting oneself in subjectivity, full rights and dignity. Imagery play, metaphorization — as an artistic form of self-awareness.

General structure of the Academic Course

Educational programs have a modular structure. The modules, in turn, are built based on research laboratory works deployed in a particular sequence. Laboratory work is a structural unit of the educational course. The structure of the course looks as follows:

1. First course. Fundamentals of acting/behavioural art. The course is 13 weeks in duration and consists of 12 laboratory works + final performance

1.1. Research and study of one's own operational and actual dramaturgical possibilities in a full-fledged laboratory mode.

1.2. Initiation and training of the supervisory function in relation to partners, to apply it in relation to oneself, but already as an internal director's hypostasis.

1.3. Directing the interaction of the inner actor with the inner dramaturge. Two key types of constructive improvisation.

1.4. Familiarity with improvisation in the mode of saturated fruitful chaos, the tension of the sophisticated acting, the inevitability of the still unknown. Thematic pre-imagery improvisation.

2. Second course. Imagery of acting/behavioural art. The course is 20 weeks in duration and consists of 16 laboratory works + 4 weeks of midterms

2.1. Individual Imagery. Methodology of building, identifying and maintaining the Image. Conducting "Monologue".

2.2. Pair Imagery. Methodology of entering into a relationship. The search for asymmetric general cooperation. Identifying the Image of the couple. "Dialogue".

2.3. Compositional Imagery. Composition’s structure. Establishing the composition’s internal connections. Detecting the Image of the Composition. Limits of maintenance, aspects and transformation of the Composition.

2.4. Mutual transformations of individual, paired, and compositional Images. Free and thematic Imagery improvisations.

3. Third course. Directing workshop (for actors/performers/in life). The course is 8 weeks in duration and consists of 4 laboratory works + 4 weeks of final practice

3.1. The Versions Theatre method (studied in detail in the "Versions Theatre" course).

3.2. Affirmation of the Imagery format of acting/in human behaviour in extended sketches.

3.3. Thematic version’s processing of dramatic material.

3.4. Resources, versions, psychological and behavioural solutions. Prognostic versions of the development of situations and events.

The full academic program is designed for 41 weeks, 15 hours per week, that is, 615 academic hours. It serves as the basis for developing specific, applicable proposals tailored to certain groups of students.

One laboratory work = 1 week

The schedule of classes depends on the duration of the specific educational program and the agreement with the educational institution.

A simplified working regime is possible, i.e. instead of 15 hours per week, nine academic hours per week.

One lesson = 3 hours.

Imagery and innovation

Today, innovation is defined as one of the most important factors that affects the success of an individual organisation/enterprise/institution, etc., as well as the social and economic development of a country in general. Thanks to innovations, new knowledge/inventions/research achievements are implemented in the everyday practices of various spheres of life of people and society as a whole.

In our opinion, the research and study of the Phenomenon and Theory of Imagery, along with the practice of Imagery, best meet the needs and trends of societal and educational development. In addition, the heuristic methods of learning Imagery allow, by generalising and transferring experience, to apply the skills acquired and developed during the training, in other areas of the person's life and activity, from personal to professional.

We consider that the modern professional acting education should be based on the study of Imagery, not only as a format and language of art of acting, but also as a fundamental principle of creativity as a whole. After the «technical equipment» of the actor and before he acquires rehearsal experience, the study of Imagery, as the quintessence of all acting skills, should find its unique place in the actors' education programs. The transformation of potential passives into assets of a creative person occurs precisely during the mastery/study of the subject of Imagery. It is not so much the presence of talents and gifts that makes a real impression, but the skilful use of what is in the «available arsenal» of a person. Professional actors/performers can achieve greater success with less talent precisely thanks to a skilful, in our view, Imagery approach to creation and creativity.

Innovative activity in the field of education is a response to modern challenges and society's need for development, finding a new quality of life, and forming a creative person. This consists not in the declaration of innovations and an innovative approach, but in their implementation. The introduction of the Theory and Practice of Imagery, in our way, is our answer to such challenges of our time.